Traceable Identification of Geometric Accuracy on Rotary Axes – Development of Novel Contactless Material Standard – INTEGRATION
An innovative material standard to assess the accuracy of rotary axes in 5-axis machine tools
Improving the quality of industrial parts through accurate characterisation of geometric errors of rotary axes in 5-axis machine tools
Develop a reliable method to measure geometric errors in rotary axes of machine tools
Industrial manufacturing depends on machine tools capable of producing complex-shaped components with high accuracy. However, geometric inaccuracy—especially in rotary axes—can significantly degrade the quality of machined parts. The INTEGRATION project aims to enhance this accuracy by developing a traceable in-situ measurement method that can be deployed directly in the production environment. By finely characterising the geometric errors of rotary axes, it becomes possible to correct manufacturing faults at their source, thereby reducing cost, scrap, and rework. This contributes to making machining processes more reliable, efficient, and sustainable—fully aligned with societal, environmental, energy, and industrial competitiveness challenges.
INTEGRATION introduces a new measurement system based on a physical standard equipped with contactless capacitive sensors. This device enables the measurement of rotary axis errors without prolonged production interruptions. By combining reversal strategies, sensor redundancy, and digital modelling, the system can distinguish between errors originating from the machine and those from the measurement setup itself. The applied methods follow rigorous metrological principles while remaining compatible with actual industrial constraints (vibration, thermal variation, etc.). A numerical model complements the system by providing a visual representation of the geometric errors within the machine’s working volume.
The project validated a measurement system capable of identifying up to five geometric errors on a rotary axis with micrometre-level accuracy. The prototype was successfully tested on two industrial machines, paving the way for rapid industrial deployment. Several peer-reviewed publications in first quartile journals are in progress, collaborations have been launched with LNE and FRAMATOME, and industrial valorisation opportunities are being explored.
The developed approach can be extended to other types of multi-axis machine tools. Ultimately, it will enable active compensation of geometric errors, with potential applications in aerospace, precision engineering, and predictive maintenance. Further studies are planned to assess performance under varying environmental conditions, especially on large-scale machine tools.
Two international publications are scheduled. Two major international conference presentations have been delivered, one under the Euspen framework (with a scholarship award), and the other within the INTERCUT consortium. Project members are also actively involved in promoting best practices in metrology through standardisation bodies, such as the French UNM 908 group in the field of Machine Tools and Performance (monitoring European (CEN/TC 143) and international (ISO/TC 39) work).
Maldonado, D.; Viprey, F.; Lavernhe, S.; Poulachon, G. «In-situ capacitive sensor-based system to measure geometrical effects errors of a rotary axis in a 5-axis machine tool«.
Maldonado, D.; Viprey, F.; Lavernhe, S.; Poulachon, G. «Novel in-situ methodology for geometric error characterisation of rotary axis errors on multi-axis machine tool«, Laser Metrology and Machine Performance XV (LAMDAMAP), The University of Edinburgh (UK), p.11, March 2023.
Viprey, F.; Maldonado, D.; Lavernhe, S.; Poulachon, G.; Nouira, H. «Traceable Identification of Geometric Accuracy on Rotary Axes – Development of Novel Contactless Material Standard«, conference international CIRP Winter Meeting 21-23 février 2024, Paris.
Article publié dans la revue Arts & Métiers Magazine : « Le projet INTEGRATION, réinvente l’usinage », rubrique Ecole de la technologie au cœur des labos, 1 page, p.58, N°423 décembre 2020-Janvier 2021.
Caracterisation of rotary axis based on traceable dimensional measurement on machine tools is a prerequisite for significantly improving manufacturing processes. INTEGRATION is an innovative project consisting in developing a calibrated material standard, associated with procedures and good practice guide for a facilitated implementation in production processes. Using this material standard will guarantee reliable measurements on machine tools in the shopfloor, and significantly reduce geometric errors of rotation axes. INTEGRATION is totally in line with metrology 4.0 requirements thanks to innovative measuring and controlling systems directly on machine-tools. These high-accuracy (<10µm) and traceable dimensional measurements are carried out on machine tools located in a harsh environment. INTEGRATION project meets the industrial need by contributing to a new productive organisation in which the machine is a smart, agile and flexible production and control means granting for metrological traceability.
Project coordination
Fabien VIPREY (ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE D'ARTS ET METIERS - LABORATOIRE BOURGUIGNON DES MATERIAUX ET PROCEDES)
The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.
Partnership
ENSAM - LaBoMaP ECOLE NATIONALE SUPERIEURE D'ARTS ET METIERS - LABORATOIRE BOURGUIGNON DES MATERIAUX ET PROCEDES
Help of the ANR 262,457 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project:
- 42 Months
